Students and Home Groups

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In order to be able to produce semester reports in the AusVELS format, Victorian Government and Catholic schools must import a Student Details XML file. This means, therefore, that schools that have students in Years 11 and 12 will need to use two import methods to add students to their database:

CSV files, usually only for students in Years 11 and 12.
A Student Details XML file for all year levels up to and including Year 10.

 

minusStudent Details XML

The Student XML file is exported from CASES21 or other administrative systems used by Catholic schools producing AusVELS reports, eg MAZE, SAS, Principal and Delta Link. It is then imported directly into Accelerus.

It should contain all current students up to and including Year 10, and an updated XML file must be imported every semester. You may import updated copies of this file as often as you wish or need.

The Student XML file has additional data to that required in a Student CSV file, most importantly prior AusVELS domain/strand scores for the student. These prior scores will automatically be stored against the student as custom properties in Accelerus as part of the import process and will be used when producing reports to display the student’s progress.

Also, as part of the import of the XML file, you may choose to have Home Group Summary Subjects created.

At the end of each semester, a Student XML file is exported out of Accelerus, containing the aggregated domain/strand scores to be imported into CASES21 and other systems.

 

minusThe effects of the import process

Importing the Student XML file, a requirement for schools producing AusVELS reports, does more than just create records for students in the Accelerus database:

Firstly, it sets up all of the home groups, if they do not already exist, based on the students’ home group information in the XML file. For this reason, you must have a home group cohort, however, named.

Warning

However, it is recommended that you create or import your home groups before you import your Student XML file. Otherwise, the home group teacher fields will be blank and classes created on the basis of the home groups will also be missing their teachers.

 

Secondly, a series of student custom properties are created by importing the Student XML file.

You may view the custom properties set up by the import process via Tools > School Settings, and clicking the Custom Student Properties tab.

There are two types of data stored in these custom properties:

The student’s Victorian Student Number (VSN) and other system numbers required by CASES21 and other school administrative systems. Without this data, the importing and exporting of Student XML data between Accelerus and CASES21 cannot occur.

These properties are Perpetual in the case of the REGIST and VSN fields but annual for the CAMPUS field.

The prior scores of each student for each domain/strand, for each semester's import. There will be a set of properties created by the semester 1 import and one for semester 2, with the codes ending with either a 1 or 2, as appropriate.

These properties are annual properties, ie they change each year.

The Quick Setup window, in the process of building the subject parameters, ensures that prior scores are inserted into appropriate AusVELS assessment items and contribute to the domain dot graphics in the student reports.

 

Thirdly, it may optionally create Home Group Summary Subjects, with classes and enrolments.

 

minusPrior scores

Where a school imports a student XML file, prior score custom properties will be created, with each student’s prior domain/strand scores, where they exist, being stored therein.

The prior score custom properties are found in the School Settings window and the values of these for each student may be viewed by going to the Custom Properties tab of a student’s window, as shown here.

QS CustomPropertiesStudentwindow

The Quick Setup window, in the process of building the subject parameters, ensures that these prior scores are inserted into appropriate AusVELS assessment items, and contribute to the domain dot graphics in the student reports.

Because of the phase in of the Australian Curriculum, different sets of prior scores will be imported via a Student XML file:

In the case of non-Australian Curriculum domains, ie those still being assessed using the VELS curriculum, the prior score will be from 12 months ago, ie from the same semester of the year before.

These prior scores will be a translated VELS prior scores, stored in custom properties that have a V prefix.

For Australian Curriculum domains:
In the first semester in which a domain is introduced by DEECD as an AusVELS domain, no prior scores will be imported or appear on reports.
In the first year of the introduction of a particular Australian Curriculum domain, the prior score will be from six months ago, ie from semester 1 in semester 2 of the first year.
Subsequent to this, the prior scores will be from twelve months ago, ie the same semester a year ago.

The AusVELS prior scores will be coded with an AV prefix, eg AVENGWRIP1 for English Writing semester 1 prior score.

Both the V and AV prefix custom property prior scores use the AusVELS progression point marking scheme, ie the marking scheme coded AV_0_10.

 

minusSteps to import a student XML file

To import students in Prep to Year 10, schools in the Victorian Government and Catholic sectors should follow these steps each semester:

Obtain a complete Student XML file from CASES21 or another school administration system, eg MAZE, SAS, Principal and Delta Link, and store this file in a location accessible to your Accelerus system.
In Accelerus go to File > Import > Student Details XML.
Make your selections in the Import Student XML window:
In the Year Level Cohort Type field, select the cohort type that stores your year level data, typically called Year Level.

Select <Unassigned> if you do not have a Year Level cohort and one will be created automatically for you.

In the Home Group Cohort Type field, select the cohort group that is used for your home group or room data.

Again, select <Unassigned> if you do not have such a cohort and one called Home Group will be created automatically for you.

In the top section of the Import Student XML window, make all of the required selections

Optionally, check the Set start date for new students box and enter the start date that you want to set for these students.

Any students who are found in the XML file but not in the database will be added with the start date specified here.

Only check the Set end date checkbox and enter an end date if you want the import process to automatically set an end date for students who are in the database but not found in the XML file.

Warning

In order to be able to use the end date settings when importing, the XML file must contain all current students at the school. Otherwise, you will be setting the end date of students who are still current, eg Year 11 and 12 students if your XML file only contains students up to Year 10.

If setting an end date, check the next box if you want to withdraw from all their classes those students in the XML file whose end date is being set.

This is usually used only in semester 2 or mid-cycle, to both withdraw and set the end date of those students who have left.

Optionally set start and end dates and create home group summary subjects as part of the Student XML import

If you wish to create Home Group Summary Subjects or update these if they already exist, check the next box.
If you do so, the Academic Cycle field will become activated and, from this, select the Academic Cycle to which these Summary Subjects are to belong.

QS ImportXML3

Typically, Primary schools will have annual home group summary subjects, whereas a Secondary school is more likely to have semester-based ones, if required at all.

Click the Browse button at the end of the Filename field and select the location of and file containing the XML file to be imported.
Preprocess the Student XML file:
Click the Preprocess button.

The Import Student XML window will list the effects of the import, comparing the data in the XML file with that already in the database, for the selected academic cycle.

Open any issue, warning and error headings to reveal the details for each student.

Note that there should be very large numbers of changes, as each import process should be bringing in significant amounts of changed data, namely all of the prior scores of the students. As shown below, there are 387 students with more than 2 field variations and these field variations relate mainly to prior scores.

QS Import Student XML Preprocess

Make any changes to the action to be taken for any listed issues, by clicking the appropriate dropdown list option in the right of the pane.

Note that only where you have clicked the checkbox to set the end date will you be given the ability to selectively override the end date setting. In this case, in the preprocess warning section, where informed of the number of students in the database that are not in the file, you may select from the options in the dropdown list.

Proceed with the import:
When ready to proceed, click the Import button.

If a message is displayed, informing you that you are attempting to import prior results from the wrong year or into the wrong academic cycle, you will not be able to proceed with the import. You must obtain a valid file from your school administrator or ensure you have selected the correct academic cycles in the Academic Cycle Selector.

An error message will be displayed if you are importing the Student XML file into the wrong academic cycle

Otherwise, wait while the students are imported, clicking OK at the completion message.

 

minusManually adding new students

When new students enrol at the school mid-semester, if they are in Years 11 and 12, you may add them manually into the Accelerus database, or import them via a CSV file.

Although it is preferable to only ever import students below Year 11 via an XML file, it may be impractical to obtain an updated XML file every time there is a new student at the school. Therefore, you may also manually add such new students and enrol them in their classes as you would normally do.

 

Warning

However, if you do add any Prep to Year 10 students manually, you must also do the following:

Use the exact student code found in CASES21 or other school administration system for the student.
Towards the end of each semester, prior to printing your reports, get an up-to-date Student XML file from CASES21 or other administration package and reimport this into Accelerus.

Otherwise, the data in Accelerus and your school system will not match and the import/export processes between the two systems will not work correctly.